When I drive out to Palm Springs, there is a section on the 10 freeway at Cabazon, near the exit to Hadleys and the giant dinosaurs, where you get your first glimpse of the windmills, and you come upon this magnificent sight of Mt. San Jacinto. I've always been struck by the contrast of the desert hills below and the alpine mountaintop above. This is the point in the trip where I really start getting excited about a weekend full of hiking in both the desert and the snow.